“We’re having a discussion internally with our administration, we’re going to put up critter cams in a number of areas. Our natural resources department is also increasing their guardian patrols, adding more full-time members so that we’ll be able to identify spots or potential trespassers and illegal dumpers prior to any incidents becoming an issue,” she said. “Along with more staff and remote cameras we are going to have community observe, record and report programs instructing the public how to make accurate observations and recordings and who to report them to.

“If you are planning to dump illegally on reserve we will record you and catch you and you will be issued a fine. So please don’t do it.”

She added that in 2018 the band removed 9,500 pounds of illegally dumped commercial and residential garbage, spending about 200 hours addressing the issue on the nearly 50,000 acres of band land.

The PIB land also falls under the federal Species at Risk Act, which the band has invested a lot of work to be in compliance with.

“To see people just illegally dumping, it’s disheartening to our community and to our members,” said Russell. “We would ask the public to help the species at risk by not dumping on PIB reserve land so we can maintain our ecosystem for everybody.”